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The Syrian crisis: 3 years in

Refugees living in Zaatari camp, near the Jordan-Syria border. Of the 2.5 million refugees who have fled Syria during three years of conflict, 80 percent are women and children. Photo: Peter Biro/IRC

“Maybe I should have stayed in Syria to die.”

– Syrian refugee woman, Zaatari camp, Jordan.

Three years after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, the threat of unspeakable violence and cruelty is a daily reality for women and girls who have fled their homes in search of safety.

In crises like this one, women are more likely to be raped, forced into marriage or targeted by domestic violence. Meanwhile, poor access to medical care has dramatically increased risks for women who are pregnant or giving birth.

The IRC estimates that 22,550 refugee or displaced Syrian women will give birth and nearly 3,400 will suffer miscarriage or have a stillbirth this year—uncertain if or when they will receive appropriate medical attention.

Seventy-five percent of the Syrian women and girls in Jordan who participated in a recent assessment by the IRC and other agencies said they felt the place where they were living was unsafe. Fifty-nine percent of women said that their lack of privacy put them at risk of sexual assault.

The International Rescue Committee now operates 16 support centers that serve up to 4,000 vulnerable Syrian women and girls each month.